Expanding Access to Early Head Start: State Initiatives for Infants and Toddlers at Risk (Minnesota)

This joint report by ZERO TO THREE and CLASP draws on newly conducted research on state efforts to expand and enhance access to Early Head Start services for infants, toddlers, and their families. The federal Early Head Start program was created to help minimize the disparities caused by poverty by supporting the healthy development of expectant mothers and low-income infants and toddlers in the context of their families and communities. However, less than 4 percent of babies and toddlers who are eligible for Early Head Start are currently being served. This report describes the diverse strategies states are using to build upon Early Head Start and offers recommendations for states interested in expanding this proven program. It builds on a previous paper, Building on the Promise: State Initiatives to Expand Access to Early Head Start for Young Children and their Families, released by the two organizations in 2008.
Since 1997, Minnesota has expanded the capacity of existing Early Head Start (EHS) programs by allowing state supplemental funds to be used for EHS.

In 2014 Minnesota received new funding for EHS expansion and EHS-CC Partnerships. The projected number of children to be served with this funding was 488.
In 2014 Minnesota had the following slots funded:
Federally-Funded Early Head Start slots totaled 1461
Early Head Start Home Visiting Office of Head Start-Funded slots totaled 1037
Sate Funded Early Head Start slots totaled 339

For further information on state, see the following pages in Expanding Access to Early Head Start:
Page 6: Text Box. Increasing EHS Funding in a Difficult Economic Time: Minnesota State Supplemental Funding Initiative
Page 10: Table. Funding Mechanisms for State EHS Initiatives
Page 17: APPENDIX. Initiatives that expand the capacity of Early Head Start (EHS) programs to increase the number of children and pregnant women served
Read the full report at www.zerotothree.org/expandingehs.
Read an in-depth profile on states initiative at:
http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/pdf/state-ehs-profiles/minnesota-ehs.pdf